Community Service
by yorkie411
Summary: Puck's running out of ideas for community service, until he gets an offer for a babysitting job... Filled with Beth cuteness and Quick tension.


Hello, fellow Gleeks! This is a quick (Puck/Quinn pun intended) one-shot. I've been DYING for this to happen on Glee, and of course, since I do not own or write for the show, I have to keep dreaming. So, I figured you guys would enjoy this! Feel free to comment and rate, it really makes my day. c:

Like I said, I don't own Glee. But boy, if I did? I'd be the happiest person on this earth. xD

* * *

Community service. What a stupid waste of time.

Noah Puckerman had so many better things to do than come up with something good he could do for the community. Like doing Santana, buttering floors, hitting on milfs, playing guitar, beating up nerdy freshman… Wasn't the mere action of _living _good enough for the community?

Apparently not, because Puck had landed himself in the principal's office. Again.

"Puckerman, this has got to stop." Figgins stated, staring down the boy who was slumped in the chair across from the principal's desk.

"I don't get what's the big deal!" Puck roared, his hands flying up in the air.

"Obtaining answers for a Geometry midterm? It's illegal, it's irresponsible, it's… it's simply foolish! You really have to clean up your life a little bit." Figgins replied quickly. "Community service. You should really look into it, maybe that'll make the authority think otherwise about your bad behavior."

There it was. The term _community service. _There was no way in hell that Puck was going to pick up trash on the highway. It was disgusting, and he couldn't go shirtless under the bright orange vest that they made him wear. So what was the point?

"Principal Figgins, I'm sorry to bother you, but-" a woman knocked on the door and stepped inside. Puck glanced at the door with that glum, I-don't-really-care-about-anything look that he always wore, but it fell when he realized who it was.

Shelby?

What was she doing here? Puck tensed up at the sight of the woman, but he tried to keep his composure. He turned away from her, despite the fact she was offering a smile to the boy.

"Hello, Noah. I'm sorry, I just wanted to let Principal Figgins know that- that I'm not able to help the glee club today. I…" Shelby stopped in the middle of her sentence, her eyes falling on Puck. "I don't have a sitter."

Puck gripped the arms of the seat, his eyes trailing to the ground. He tried to pretend as if he didn't hear anything, as if it didn't affect him at all.

"Here's an idea." Figgins sat up straighter in his seat, grinning up at Shelby. "Since the glee club really needs your expertise, Miss Shelby, what if I asked… Rachel to help you out?" he offered, and it felt as if a weight was lifted from Puck's shoulders. He exhaled softly.

"Oh, that wouldn't really work." Shelby sighed, stepping into the room and closing the door. "I don't think Rachel's… very good with children. She's been an only child for so long, and… to be quite honest, she's needed in the glee club."

Figgins grunted in agreement, folding his hands and resting his chin on his knuckles. All of a sudden, he perked up, looking to Puck, who raised an eyebrow in confusion at the man.

"Noah." Figgins said simply, leaning in a little closer to the boy. "You've got free time."

"Who says?" Puck said plainly.

"Well, since you've been suspended-"

"Wait wait wait right there, Figgins… I'm _suspended_?" Puck repeated, letting his head roll back. "Aw fu-"

"It's a form of community service, Noah."Figgins retorted, ignoring the question entirely. He turned to Shelby. "Noah here has been suspended. He's going straight home after school anyways, I don't see why he couldn't babysit."

"Um, well I'm obviously not… it's not- I'm not able-" Puck stuttered as he tried to figure out an excuse.

"There's no one I wouldn't trust more than Beth's own father." Shelby spoke softly, placing a hand on the chair Puck was in. He fell silent. "I'll take that as a yes! Thank you, Noah. I'll write down my address. It's really easy, babysitting Beth. She sleeps a lot, and only needs to be fed once or twice while I'm gone. I'd imagine we'll be practicing until five or so-"

Shelby kept rambling, but it slowly just turned to mush in Puck's head. This couldn't happen. He couldn't go back to that feeling of… of emptiness.

* * *

"So I heard you're suspended again." A soft, angelic voice murmured from behind Puck as he walked towards his locker. He turned and smirked a little at the blonde Cheerio, who was ready to walk right past him.

"Hey, I've got plans after school, if you were wondering." Puck called to her, stopping in the hallway and watching her walk past. She stopped as well, whipped around and glared at him.

"I'm dating Sam." Quinn declared, looking down at the ring on her finger and twirling it.

"I know."

"So why would I care about your plans?"

"Oh, I dunno…"

"No, I think you _do _know, Puckerman. What's going on?" Quinn asked harshly, stepping towards the lockers and pulling him closer to her.

"It's nothing bad! Chill out, blondie." Puck smirked, and Quinn rolled her eyes and walked away. "It just involves your kid." He declared rather loudly, and Quinn stopped in her tracks again. "Yeah, remember her?" he asked, letting his hands fall to his sides. "Babysitting. It's community service, you know. I figured I would let you know that I had plans… I'll be sure to tell Beth that her _mom _says hi." Puck mumbled, then turned to walk away.

* * *

"Now I know why Rachel's such a freak." Puck mumbled to himself, scanning the list over and over again in Shelby's house. She left step-by-step instructions of things to do if Beth started crying, or if she was hungry or sleepy. It was a baby, what was the worst that could happen?

Don't answer that.

"So… I gotta find the little munchkin now…" Puck said, tossing the list back on the kitchen table and walking throughout the house. He stopped as he heard humming, and the occasional whimper of a baby. His heart started pounding a little faster, and he stepped into the room. Shelby turned around and smiled politely at the boy.

"Noah, great, you're here." Shelby noted, stepping closer to him. Puck stepped back for some reason, but he sighed a little as he saw Beth's face. Dear lord, she looked… she looked like Quinn. It was kind of weird to see. Why was he so afraid of seeing her? "She just woke up, but she'll fall back asleep in a little bit. She likes music." She informed him. "I should really be heading out, I'm late as is." she mumbled, checking the time on her watch. "Would you?"

Puck froze. He didn't want to hold Beth because… damn, what if he broke her or something? But he wasn't about to leave her hanging, so he took the baby in his arms and looked down cautiously. Beth yawned, stretching her arms and smacking her lips.

"Hi there." Puck laughed, biting down on his lower lip. This was weird. He kind of wanted Shelby out of here, so he could spend some time alone with Beth. Shelby started talking, something about the list and dialing 9-1-1 and everything. He tuned it all out.

Beth's _eyes._ Damn.

Once Shelby left the room, Puck glanced around. It was really pink and cheerful, like Shelby had spent too much money on furnishing the damn thing. Puck glanced back down at Beth. "This is it?" he asked the baby, walking throughout the room and looking at all the little baby stuff. "A little cheery, in my opinion. You must be getting spoiled like no other." He grinned, then took a seat next to the crib. "Well, I'm your- your dad. It's pretty messed up, the whole situation you're in. I'm not gonna tell you Shelby's not your mom, because that's like… that's like telling you that there's no such thing as Santa…" he rambled, but his eyes widened. "But there is! I mean, Shelby _is _your mom, and there _is _a Santa. I promise." He revived himself with a grin. "But you have another mom, okay? Yeah. She's… she's great. I think I actually love her. But she hates your dad. That's me. Are you keeping up?" he asked, but Beth sort of curled closer to Puck's chest.

"I'll take that as a yes." Puck chuckled. "She'd never admit it, but y'know what? I think Quinn loves you. I do." He told her, taking his index finger and thumb and playing with her hair. "Darn, no mohawk, huh?" he laughed. "That's alright. You have your mom's hair anyways. I don't know how a blonde mohawk would look." Puck continued, leaning back in the chair a little. "Oh, I have my iPod. You like music, right? What am I saying? You're my kid. Of course you like music."

Puck managed to pull his iPod out of his pocket and placed it on the iHome. (In the process, he muttered something about how it was crazy that Beth had an iHome in her nursery) He couldn't really work the iPod with one hand and Beth in his arms, so he pressed shuffle.

Sweet Pea by Amos Lee came on.

"Oh, crap that's embarrassing." Puck mused, trying to situate Beth and change the song, but she stopped whining as the music poured from the speakers. He sighed, slumped back in the chair and let Beth listen. The song was creepily accurate.

_Sweet pea_

_Keeper of my soul_

_I know sometimes I'm out of control_

Puck grinned at the lyrics, his foot tapping to the beat. He hummed along to it, but he didn't want to start belting it out, since Beth was starting to fall asleep.

_You're the only reason I keep on coming home._


End file.
